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When You See These 40 Strange Flowers You’ll Think They Are Fake… But They Are TOTALLY Real.

Many of us love to garden. It's an opportunity to get out in the fresh air and play in the dirt, and perhaps, relive some childhood memories. We can watch our plants grow and enjoy the greenery and the flowers and the ground cover.

The following 40 plants and flowers are not only beautiful, but are incredibly life-like. The organization Flowers Across Melbourne shares our interest in natural beauty and has researched these unique specimens. Take a look at these fascinating flowers and realize that they are naturally occurring shapes and images. The photos are of real plants and have not been modified to enhance their appearance.

We all need to take a few minutes each day to stop and smell the roses, in the case of these 40 unusual flowers, we need to take a look as well!

#1. Monkey Face Orchid (Dracula simia)

Let’s face it (pun intended), this little guy didn’t take a whole lot of imagination to name;“dracula” because of it’s two long, fang-like petals and “simia” for its resemblance to primates.The two dark little eyes, fuzzy dotted eyebrows, and furry little nose and beard area bear striking simian resemblances that become even more obvious when viewed from a distance.

The Monkey Face Orchid is rare oddity so don’t get upset if you’ve never seen one before. It is only found in the cloud forests of Peru and southeastern Ecuador at altitudes of more than 3,000 feet. It has the ability to bloom all year round and its flowers smell like ripe oranges, making it a prized addition to any orchid connoisseurs garden.

#2. Bat plant (Tacca integrifolia)

The White Bat Plant is one of the world’s largest and most unusual flowers. It’s strange little black flowers come in clusters of twenty to forty and resemble bats’ faces, while the white bracts above resemble bats’ ears. The Bat Plant can grow to anywhere between 60 and 90 centimeters tall and comes in both a black version and a white version. The whiskers of the flower will also grow quite long, sometimes reaching all the way to the ground. An interesting fact about this weird wonder is that despite it’s resemblance to the lily it is actually a member of the yam family!

#3. Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis)

With more than 25,000 different kinds of orchids on the planet it’s no wonder that more than a couple of them made our weird list. The Moth Orchid is actually the most common type of orchid and bears the name because of its supposed resemblance to a moth in flight. Native to southeast Asia, the Philippines and northern Australia, the Moth Orchid isn’t exactly hard to find and it comes in nearly every color of the rainbow. So what exactly sets it apart from its 24,999+ orchid siblings? The Moth Orchid’s uncanny ability to have multiple blooming periods— when grown in optimal conditions of course!

#4. Corpse Flower (Rafflesia keithii)

Next on our list comes a rather morbid yet beautiful flower— Rafflesia keithii, or, the Corpse Flower. There is a bit of a debate over whether or not the true corpse flower is the Rafflesia keithii or the Titan arum. If you’ve seen the movie Dennis the Menace than you may remember the flower that Mr. Wilson waited nearly 40 years to see bloom—that’s the Titan arum. The Corpse Flower of which we speak now is much more rare and can only be found in the rainforests of Indonesia. The Corpse Flower is a parasitic organism that has no visible leaves, roots or stems, causing some to argue that the Corpse Flower isn’t a flower at all—rather a fungus. In addition to its vampiric traits, the Corpse Flower is the world’s largest individual flower. Still wondering why it’s nicknamed the Corpse Flower? Let’s just say don’t breathe in its scent too deeply.

#5. Naked Man Orchid (Orchis italica)

Is it an alien? Is it a sea anemone? Nope, it’s the Naked Man Orchid! This little guy (or guys) also known as the Hanging Man Orchid, are native to the Mediterranean regions and resemble tiny little hanging naked men, from their dotted eyes and smiles right down to their you-know-whats. Naked Man Orchids come in all sizes and usually range in color from light purplish white to deep purply-pink. The Naked Man Orchid is classified as having a threatened status, perhaps because of its popularity as an antidiarrheal, antiflatulent and aphrodisiac. Another crazy fact about these fun flowers: they’re used in making the drink Salep, also called Turkish Delight.

#6. Hooker’s Lips (Psychotria elata)

Hooker Lips, Hot Lips, Flower Lips— call them what you will— there’s no guessing how this plant got its name. The bright red bits that resemble a hooker’s bright red lips are actually bracts, not petals. The leaf-like bracts are only in their kissable state for a few days before opening to reveal the little yellow and white flowers within. The Hooker’s Lips Plant is native to the tropical regions of Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama, but due to its popularity with collectors and the deforestation of its natural habitat it’s landed on the endangered list. Hope we don’t have to kiss this little beauty goodbye anytime soon!

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